AZ-800 Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure Exam

Deploy and Configure Azure Container Instances

Azure Container Instances (ACI) let you run containers without managing servers or clusters. With ACI, you can launch Docker containers in seconds, making it ideal for burst workloads or simple applications. This service is fully serverless, so you don’t need to set up virtual machines or orchestrators. By using ACI, teams gain fast and flexible deployments for testing, continuous integration, or small-scale production workloads.

You can deploy container instances through Azure CLI, Azure PowerShell, or the Azure portal. Each tool lets you pull images from public registries or private registries by providing credentials and endpoints. During creation, you often define environment variables to configure applications at runtime. You also choose restart policies such as Always, OnFailure, or Never to control container behavior after completion or failure. These settings ensure containers run reliably under various scenarios.

When configuring an ACI, you must specify resource constraints to match performance needs and cost considerations. You define the number of CPU cores and the amount of memory in gigabytes for each container. Proper sizing helps avoid resource bottlenecks and reduces unnecessary charges. You can adjust these values easily if your workload’s requirements change over time. Remember, right-sizing resources saves both money and ensures optimal performance.

Networking is another key aspect of ACI configuration. You can connect containers to virtual networks to communicate privately with other Azure services or on-premises resources. ACI supports both private and public IP addresses, letting you decide whether to expose containers directly to the internet. You control traffic with network security groups, creating secure endpoints for your applications. This approach ensures containers meet your organization’s compliance and security standards.

To automate deployments, you can use declarative templates like Bicep or ARM. A Bicep file lets you define container groups, images, ports, CPU and memory settings, restart policies, and networking in code. You then deploy templates with commands such as az deployment group create in Azure CLI or New-AzResourceGroupDeployment in PowerShell. This practice promotes consistency, version control, and repeatable setups across environments. Automating infrastructure as code also speeds up rollouts and reduces manual errors.

Conclusion

Managing Azure Container Instances involves several core tasks: choosing the right deployment tool, selecting image sources, and setting resource constraints. You also define environment variables and restart policies to control container behavior. Networking configurations let you integrate containers into virtual networks or expose them securely to the internet. Finally, using declarative templates like Bicep automates deployments and ensures consistent, repeatable setups. Together, these concepts help you deploy and run containers efficiently in Azure’s hybrid infrastructure.